They had been imposed on the Burundian government for about six years. The European Union has just repealed these economic sanctions against the CNDD-FDD regime, even though it admits that problems linked to the respect of human rights, good governance and the rule of law remain. (Le Mandat)
According to the European Union, “further progress in the field of human rights, good governance and the rule of law would be beneficial to all Burundians, in particular through the implementation of the roadmap, in the framework of the ongoing political dialogue between the European Union and Burundi”. The decision, taken by the Council of the European Union on Tuesday, lifts the decision that imposed on Burundi “the suspension of financial support, the payment of funds directly to the Burundian administration or institutions and budgetary support”. This decision will allow the European Union to relaunch this type of cooperation with Burundi.
The lifting of the sanctions is, according to the European Union, the culmination of the peaceful political process that began with the May 2020 general elections. Since these elections, the EU believes that progress has been made by the Burundian government in the areas of human rights, good governance and the rule of law, and that the government has committed itself, through a roadmap, to making further improvements in these areas. The 27 also report that a large number of refugees have returned voluntarily to Burundi and that cooperation with the international community and neighboring countries has been revived.
In the decision, the European Union says it is “ready, together with other international partners, to support the ongoing efforts of the Burundian authorities to stabilize and consolidate democratic institutions, promote human rights, good governance and the rule of law and implement the commitments made for further improvements in these areas.
Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Albert Shingiro, welcomed the lifting of the sanctions which had suspended a large part of more than 400 million Euros in financial aid to the government for more than five years.
The sanctions that the European Union has just lifted were taken on 14 March 2016 in the midst of the crisis linked to the challenge to the third term of the president of the Republic in Burundi.
